NIKOLOU WINERY - - Koropi, Greece

Best Winery in Europe 2018 by CEUCO at the 16th European Gongress of Gastronomy and Oenology

THE WINERY

Nikolou Winery is located in the heart of Koropi, at the very place where the Nikolou family has been producing wines since 1920. The adaptation of the winery facilities to the mdoern wine making requirements was strongly needed. In 1991, obsolete apparatus was gradually replaced with modern wine making equipment, machinery and stainless steel temperature controlled tanks.

Based on these conditions, along with the knowledge and experience gained through all these years, Savatiano, the traditional variety of Mesogeia, was vinified by controlled fermentation for the first time. It consequently revealed its aromatic and tasty treasure, which was certainly hidden all these years. As a result, Retsina was not essential at all to provide further features to the wine's character.

At present, the winery maintains stainless steel grape-vessels, weighing berries, destemmer-crasher, must pumps, pneumatic press, modern automatic machine used for bottle tapping and filling line of sparkling wines with the traditional method of fermentation in the bottle.

The winery maintains the traditional architecture. Stone walls and large stone arches illustrate the past in the visitors mind, while certify effectively the long family tradition in wine production.

THE SUPPLIERS

The Nikolou Winery cooperates with expert winegrowers from different areas of Greece where the selected grapes varieties are very well adapted. The continuous relationship with the winegrowers through years allows the winery to work with them in the vineyards to develop the quality and maturity of grapes, using modern technological innovations essential to the excellence of producing wine.

VINIFICATION

We use grape varieties from Mesogaia to make Savatiano wine, from Limnos to make Moschato Alexandrias, from North Attica to make Malagousia, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, chardonnay, from Nemea mountains to make Agiorgitiko and from Mantineia to make Moschofilero.

The winery also has the equipment necessary for the production of sweet wine. More particularly, the sweet wine Nama is produced withthe traditional technique of condensation by boiling the must of the grapes.

The production of the special original sparkling wine Retsina based on the traditional method of fermentation in the bottle (methode traditionnelle) is the latest innovation of the winery (BRUT SPARKLING RETSINA -BOTANIC).

THE WINES

BOTANIC- Sparkling Retsina

The production of the special original sparkling wine Retsina based on the traditional method of fermentation in the bottle (methode traditionnelle) is the latest innovation of the winery (BRUT SPARKLING RETSINA -BOTANIC).

Type of wine: Brut Sparkling White Wine - methode traditionnelle.

Variety: Savatiano 100%.

Winemaking: Early grape harvest of Savatiano variety is used to produce a wine

with high acidity and low pH. For the base wine, we used free-run must that

represents only the 30% of the grapes. Static settling at 10 °C and controlled

fermentation at 17 °C.

After the clarification of the wine, a secondary fermentation inside the bottle with

the traditional method of producing champagne follows. The sparkling wine is

pine aromas and masticha –full-bodied taste- botanical aromas with a long

aftertaste.

Accompanies seafood and traditional Greek dishes.

BOTANIC BASE

Category: Retsina

PGI: Attiki Traditional Appellation

From a 20-year old vineyard of NE Attica.

Variety: Savatiano 100%.

Winemaking: Early harvesting in stacks, vinification and static settling for 48 hours in stainless steel tanks. Addition of pine resin and alcoholic fermentation with selected yeasts at controlled temperature. Under these conditions an ideal base wine is produced for second fermentation in the bottle.